Phytochemical Constituents and Ameliorative Effect of the Essential Oil from Annona muricata L. Leaves in a Murine Model of Breast Cancer.

Juan Pedro Rojas-Armas,José Manuel Ortiz-Sánchez,Norma Ramos-Cevallos,James Calva,Edwin César Cieza-Macedo,Americo Castro-Luna,Oscar Herrera-Calderon,Miriam Palomino-Pacheco,Jorge Luis Arroyo-Acevedo,Hugo Jesus Justil-Guerrero

doi:10.3390/molecules27061818

Juan Pedro Rojas-Armas, José Manuel Ortiz-Sánchez + Show 8 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27061818

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Abstract

Annona muricata leaves are traditionally used as an anticancer plant in the world. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ameliorative effect of the essential oil from Annona muricata leaves (EOAm) in an experimental model of breast cancer and to determine the volatile constituents with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Thirty female rats were assigned to five groups: the control group; the DMBA (7,12-dimethylbenz[α]anthracene) group; and three groups received daily EOAm doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg/day, plus DMBA, respectively. After 13 weeks of treatment, tumors were analyzed pathologically and biochemical markers in serum were noted. As a result, in GC-MS analysis, 40 compounds were identified and 4 of them were abundant: Z-caryophyllene (40.22%), followed by α-selinene (9.94%), β-pinene (8.92%), and β-elemene (7.48%). Furthermore, EOAm in a dose-dependent form produced a reduction in tumor frequency and the accumulated tumor volume was reduced by 50% and 71% with doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively. Serum levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) increased and malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased significantly compared to the DMBA group. Serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) decreased significantly from 70.75 ± 7.15 pg/mL in the DMBA group to 46.50 ± 9.00 and 34.13 ± 11.50 pg/mL in groups treated with doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively. This study concludes that the EOAm leaves showed an ameliorative effect in a murine model of breast cancer.

Highlights

Breast cancer (BC) is a cancer that is frequently diagnosed in women worldwide, leading to the second cause of death in women
The chemical analysis revealed the presence of 40 compounds
Based on the chemical analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), this study showed similar reports from

Summary

Introduction

Breast cancer (BC) is a cancer that is frequently diagnosed in women worldwide, leading to the second cause of death in women. In 2020, there were an estimated 276,480 new cases of BC and 42,170 deaths from this cause in the United States [2]. The protocol to treat BC depends on the tumor subtype and anatomical stage, and may include surgical resection, endocrine therapy, chemotherapy, antibodies and postoperative radiation [3]. Chemoresistance is the insensitivity of cancer cells to therapy, being an important limiting factor in the treatment of BC [4]. Due to their lack of selectivity over tumor cells and normal cells, chemotherapeutic agents, along with their beneficial effects, produce common side effects, such as myelosuppression, alopecia, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and stomatitis [5].

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